Automatic water-supply apparatus



Oct. 6, 1964 MINORU TESHIMA 3,151,340

AUTOMATIC WATER-SUPPLY APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Oct. 6, 1964 MINORU TESHIMA 3,151,340

AUTOMATIC WATER-SUPPLY APPARATUS Filed July 13, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,151,340 AUTOMATIC WATER-SUPPLY APPARATUS Minoru Teshima, Nakano-ku, Tokyo, Japan, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Carousel-Sanwa Licensing C0rp., Jamaica, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 13, 1962, Ser. No. 209,584 Claims priority, application Japan Oct. 26, 1961 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-166) This invention relates to an automatic water-supply apparatus using a high frequency oscillating circuit, in which, if for example washing water is needed, mere positioning a hand near a basin without manually opening a faucet can automatically cause an electromagnetic valve to operate to open a water supply passage, so that watersupply to the basin is automatically initiated.

Briefly stated in accordance with one aspect of this invention, there is provided an automatic water-supply apparatus using a high frequency oscillating circuit, in which a cathode of an oscillating tube of any type of oscillator circuit having an antenna, and a grid of a succeeding amplifier tube are connected to the plus and the minus sides respectively of a rectifier, said antenna being positioned at a location in apparatus such as a basin, which cannot be seen from the outside thereof, the minus side of said rectifier being grounded through a time constant circuit consisting of a resistor and a condenser, said resistor of the time constant circuit being connected through a coupling condenser to the antenna, further an optional potential being impressed to said coupling condenser through a variable capacitance condenser from a fixed bias resistor connected to a minus side of a power rectifier, and an electromagnetic valve being opened and shut by a relay operated by means of said amplifier.

Objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the setting of an antenna in the handwashing apparatus operated in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is an electric block diagram of this apparatus;

FIG. 3 shows an electric connection in this apparatus; and

FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal sectional view of an electromagnetic valve used in this apparatus.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of this invention will now be described; however, this description will be understood to be illustrative of the invention and not as limiting it to the particular construction shown and described. There is provided a basin 18 usually made of ceramic material. Numeral 19 indicates a metal water-supply faucet having no cock and normally open, which is projectingly mounted for example at the right and rear corner of the brim of the basin. Numeral 1 indicates an antenna located in the inner space of said basin 18 close to the faucet 19 and numeral 20 indicates an antenna lead with insulation coat thereon, which is connected to an oscillating circuit.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, there are the antenna 1 and an oscillator 2 which may be of any type such as the Hartley type shown here. Numeral 3 indicates a rectifier. Numeral 4 indicates an amplifier. Numeral 21 indicates a duplex triode acting at once as an oscillating tube and an amplifier tube. Numeral 5 indicates a relay. Numeral 6 indicates an electromagnetic valve, of which the electromagnetic solenoid circuit is opened and shut by the relay. Numeral 7 indicates an automatic voltage regulator which so operates that, in case there is a sudden change in electrostatic capacity in the antenna circuit of the oscillator 2, it alters the cut-off value of a grid and allows current to flow through its plate circuit,

while it does not respond to any gradual change of the electrostatic capacity, so that water flow never takes place unless anyone who needs hand-washing approaches the basin and positions his hand near the faucet.

Numeral 8 indicates a power rectifier to rectify an alternating current to a direct current in case a commercial alternating current power source is used as, the power source and numeral 9 indicates a transformer connected to the commercial alternating current source.

FIG. 4 shows an electromagnetic valve 6 used in this apparatus, in which numeral 10 indicates a base portion of the valve, through which is provided an inlet passage 11 ending in an upwardly opened annular channel a, and numeral 12 indicates an outlet passage having an upwardly opened inlet port b. There is a vertically movable plunger 17 which is pressed downwardly by the action of a spring 16, which has a conical bottom. An elastic rubber plate 13 is inserted between the base portion 10 and the plunger 17. A small aperture 141- made in the rubber plate 13 is adapted to be in alignment with the inlet passage 11 and a central conical hole of the rubber plate 13 is adapted to hold the conical bottom of the plunger 17. The members, the spring 16, the

plunger 17, and the rubber plate 13, are enclosed together with a space 0 by a cover extended from the base portion 10. There is provided an electromagnetic solenoid 15 which may pull up the plunger 17 when energized. I

Water admitted into the space c through the inlet passage 11, the annular channel a, and the small aperture 14 presses down the rubber plate 13 and blocks the small aperture 14 also acts to block the central conicalhole by the action of the spring 16, so that the water admitted into the electromagnetic valve 6 can not run directly to the outlet passage 12 and consequently water never drips from the faucet 19 above the basin 18 shown in FIG. 1, communicating to this outlet passage 12.

Now the electric connection of this apparatus will be explained. The oscillator 2 may be of any type such as the Hartley type, or the Colpitts type, or of any other type, and one half of a duplex tube may be used as the oscillating tube of this oscillator, the other half thereof also serving as the amplifier tube of the succeeding amplifier. In FIG. 3, a case where a duplex tube 21 acts at once as an oscillating tube and an amplifier tube is shown.

To the rectifier 8 is connected a fixed bias resistor 23, with its movable contact being connected to the plus pole of the variable capacitance condenser 24 of the automatic voltage regulator 7, to which plus pole a desired potential is given in advance. Such an arrangement is coupled with the action of a time constant circuit consisting of a resistor 25 and a condenser 25 as explained hereinafter, so that it is permitted to disable the cut-off action of the amplifier connected to the oscillator and stabilize the oscillator automatically.

The cathode of the oscillator tube of the oscillator 2, together with a tap of an oscillating coil connected to the grid circuit of the oscillator, is connected to the plus pole of the rectifier 3, with its minus pole connected to the grid of the amplifier tube of the amplifier 4. The minus pole of the rectifier 3 and, accordingly, the grid of the amplifier tube of the amplifier 4 are connected to a time constant circuit comprising 'a condenser 26 with the other pole thereof earthed, and a high resistor 25 connected to the minus pole of the variable capacitance condenser 24. This minus pole also is connected to the antenna 1 across a coupling condenser. Furthermore, the plus pole of the variable capacitance condenser 24 is connected to the movable contact of the fixed bias resistor 23 of the power rectifier 8 as set forth hereinbefore.

In operation, when anyone goes to the place where the Patented Oct. 6, 1964 p basin 18 is located and places his hand near the faucet 19 to Wash it, the human body, being generally referenced to ground, approaches the antenna 1 so that the electrostatic capacity of the antenna circuit varies.

Therefore the oscillating voltage of the oscillator. 2 decreases and the voltage appearing at the minus side of the rectifier 3 approaches zero. Consequently the grid bias voltage impressed to the grid of the amplifier tube of the amplifier 4 is decreased. Thus the cut-off action of the amplifier 4 is stopped and a current passes through the anode circuit of the amplifiers to operate the relay 5, ending in to close the circuit of the electromagnetic solenoid 15 (as shown in FIG. 4). Consequently the plunger 17 is lifted and the central hole of the rubber plate 13 is simultaneously opened, so that the Water filled in the space above the rubber plate 13 flows into the basin 18 through the outlet passage 12 and the faucet 19.

As previously mentioned, there is provided a time constant circuit consisting of a high resistor 25 and a condenser 26 in an automatic voltage regulator 7, of which the time constant assumes a propervalue in aboutten seconds. In case the electrostatic capacity of the antenna circuit increases, for example, as a human body approaches the basin 18 to place his hand under the watersupply faucet 19, such a human action wouldend within a period of ten seconds in general. Therefore, the variable capacitance condenser 24 and the time constant circult have not a time to effect their operation as automatic regulator. Consequently, as previously explained, the

cut-oif action for the amplifier tube of the amplifier 4 is disabled, allowing current to pass though its anode circuit, so that the electromagnetic valve 6 is caused to operate, allowing the apparatus to automatically initiate the flow of water through the faucet 19. However, a slow variation of the electrostaitc capacity by, for example,

lowering of the capacity of the apparatus so far as itsvariation requires a period over ten seconds, the-oscillator 2 substantially controlled by the automatic voltageregulating action continues to oscillate stably.

Although the apparatus according to this invention is comparatively simple in construction, excellent operations and effects can be obtained as explained hereinbefore. Furthermore, there is an extremely superior hygienic advantage in this invention in that it is unnecessary to turn on or off a cock with a dirty and soiled hand each time hand-washing is needed as being in many conventional cock means.

While a particular embodiment of this invention has been illustrated anddescribed, modifications thereof will readily occur to those skilled in the art. It shouldbe understood therefore that the invention is not limited to the particular arrangement disclosed but that the appended claim is intended to cover all modifications which do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An automatic water supply apparatus comprisinga capacitance plate antenna oscillating means connected to saidantenna and adapted to alter. its voltage output in response to change of electrostatic capacitance onsaid antenna, awater flow control circuit actuated bythe output of said oscillating means, a rectifierconnected between said control circuit and said oscillating means, a variable capacitor circuit havinga variable capacitor one side of which is connected to, said antenna, said variable capacitor circuit including a time. constant network, consisting of a second capacitor and a resistor, a bias potential source,

connected to the other side of said variable capacitor, said second capacitor being connected to said one side of said variable capacitor and to a capacitor discharge circuit to which the output of said oscillating means is also connected whereby said means controls the chargeand discharge of said second capacitor, a water flow conduit the outlet of which is proximate said plate antenna and in which there is disposed an electromagnetic valve ,actuable by said control circuit.

References Cited in the file of this patent.

' UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,278,130 Goldstine Mar. 31, 1942 2,446,109 Scarry July 27, 1948 2,810,066 Green Oct. 15, 1957' FOREIGN PATENTS 1,123,160 France June 4, 1 956 

